John Templeton
John Templeton – Life, Career, and Enduring Wisdom
Explore the life of Sir John Marks Templeton (1912–2008): pioneering global investor, contrarian thinker, and philanthropist. Learn about his investment philosophy, religious-scientific pursuits, key achievements, and timeless quotes.
Introduction
Sir John Marks Templeton was a visionary whose life bridged the realms of finance, spirituality, and philanthropy. Although born in the United States, he later became a British citizen and spent much of his life in the Bahamas.
He is perhaps best known for founding the Templeton Growth Fund in 1954, pioneering global investing at a time when most U.S. investors stayed domestic, and for using his wealth to support scientific and religious inquiry via the John Templeton Foundation and other initiatives.
This article examines his upbringing, his investment principles, his philanthropic and intellectual legacy, and some of his guiding quotes.
Early Life and Education
John Marks Templeton was born on November 29, 1912, in Winchester, Tennessee.
Templeton attended Yale University, where he financed his education through scholarships, various jobs, and—interestingly—winnings from poker.
As a Rhodes Scholar, he then studied at Balliol College, Oxford, earning a degree in law (MA).
Early on, Templeton showed a wide-ranging curiosity—not only about markets, but about philosophy, religion, and the broader intersection of spiritual and empirical inquiry.
Investment Career & Philosophy
From Early Investing to Global Vision
Templeton began his professional investment activities in the late 1930s.
In 1954, Templeton founded the Templeton Growth Fund, which became a flagship vehicle for his global, value-based approach.
Templeton sold his mutual fund business (Templeton Funds) in 1992 to Franklin Resources—reportedly for $440 million.
Core Investment Principles
Several hallmarks stand out in Templeton’s approach:
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Buy at “the point of maximum pessimism”
He believed the best bargains arise in times of fear, when many are selling. -
Fundamental (value) over speculative
Templeton avoided momentum investing or riding the fad stocks. He focused on undervalued securities with strong long-term potential. -
Global diversification
He sought opportunities across borders, not limiting himself to U.S. markets—more open-mindedness than many peers. -
Discipline & emotional control
He emphasized avoiding panic or euphoria. Templeton often spoke of remaining calm, optimistic, and humble—even in fluctuations. -
Integration of spiritual humility and financial wisdom
Rather than seeing wealth purely in secular terms, he infused his investing with a “humble approach” to knowledge and uncertainty.
His success was widely recognized: Money magazine once called him “arguably the greatest global stock picker of the century.”
Philanthropy, Spiritual Inquiry & Legacy
Templeton viewed his wealth as a tool for exploring deeper truths, especially where religion and science intersect.
Foundations & Institutions
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In 1972, he established the Templeton Prize, awarded annually for work “in progress toward realizing the deepest insights about the universe and humankind’s place within it.”
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He founded the John Templeton Foundation in 1987, focusing on scientific, philosophical, and theological research bridging empirical inquiry and spiritual ideas.
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He also set up the Templeton World Charity Foundation and Templeton Religion Trust.
Through these, he funded research into topics like consciousness, gratitude, forgiveness, the “physics of life,” and how religious belief might have measurable effects in the world.
Templeton also endowed Templeton College at Oxford (originally the Oxford Centre for Management Studies) which later merged to become Green Templeton College.
Personal Style & Values
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Templeton renounced his U.S. citizenship in 1968 and became a British subject, living in the Bahamas for much of his life.
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He led a relatively modest lifestyle—he reportedly never flew first class and distrusted excessive consumption.
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He served as a long-term trustee (and chair) at Princeton Theological Seminary.
At his death on July 8, 2008, in Nassau, Bahamas, Templeton was 95.
Impact & Influence
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His fusion of wealth, intellect, and spiritual curiosity inspired generations of philanthropists to invest in “big questions.”
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The Templeton Prize continues to be seen as a counterpart (in spiritual realm) to the Nobel Prizes.
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The John Templeton Foundation remains a prominent funder in areas of science and religion.
Notable Quotes
Here are some of Templeton’s memorable maxims and guiding thoughts:
“If he had not sought new paths, I would have been unable to attain so many goals.”
His foundation’s motto: “How little we know, how eager to learn.”
On openness: “We are trying to persuade people that no human has yet grasped 1% of what can be known about spiritual realities.”
On his investing method: “Buy when there’s blood in the streets, even if the blood is your own.” (a paraphrase of his contrarian approach)
These quotes reflect his conviction in humility, exploration, and resilience against conventional wisdom.
Lessons & Takeaways
From Templeton’s life, several lessons stand out:
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Courage to go against the crowd
His best returns often came when prevailing sentiment was negative—he bought when others were fearful. -
Humility in knowledge
He never pretended to have all answers; rather, he funded inquiry into the unknown. -
Wealth as a platform for purpose
He channeled his financial success into institutions seeking deeper human insight, not just material gain. -
Long-term, global vision
He looked beyond short-term fads and embraced investing across geographies and domains. -
Integration of faith and reason
He saw no need to separate spiritual inquiry from scientific rigor.
Conclusion
Sir John Marks Templeton remains a towering figure at the crossroads of finance, faith, and philanthropy. His life demonstrates that wealth can be married to intellectual humility, that bold investment thinking can coexist with spiritual openness, and that giving away resources may be the highest form of legacy.